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Wednesday 18 Nov 2015

Network Rail keeps passengers moving after Storm Barney damage

Region & Route:

National

The vast majority of the rail network is up and running after Storm Barney swept across Britain on Tuesday, but scores of Network Rail’s orange army have worked throughout the night and into this morning to repair damage to overhead power lines caused by fallen trees.

Dozens of chainsaw gangs have been on standby ready to deal with trees, branches or any other obstructions which are blown onto the railway – including a garden shed, a gazebo and a trampoline – and  train operators ran special ‘route proving’ trains at slow speed before the start of service this morning to make sure the lines are clear and safe for passengers.

A small number of fallen trees yesterday evening and overnight – the majority from land neighbouring the railway – caused damage to the overhead power lines which provide electricity to the trains. As a result, some services have been delayed or cancelled this morning while engineers repair the wires so trains can run safely.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Network Rail teams work round the clock throughout the autumn to deal with any weather-related issues and keep passengers moving. Last night and into this morning, or frontline staff have removed a number of fallen trees and other obstacles which had been blown onto the railway from neighbouring gardens, including a garden shed, a gazebo and a trampoline.

“We’re working closely with train operators to get people safely where they’re going today, but journeys in some areas may take longer while repairs are completed and passengers are advised to check before travelling to find out if their journey is affected.”

As they have done throughout the autumn so far, Network Rail’s fleet of more than 60 leaf-busting trains will run through the night tonight and every night over the coming weeks to keep the tracks clear of leaves which, when compressed by passing trains, form the railway’s equivalent of black ice on the tracks.

This Teflon-like leaf mulch makes it difficult for train wheels to grit on the track, so extra precautions have to be taken by drivers – such as lower speeds and longer stopping distances – to avoid wheel-slip or overshooting stations or signals.

Last year, Network Rail’s leaf-busting fleet covered more than 600,000 miles between October and December – the same as travelling round the world 24 times – and are on course to break that record this year.

Detailed forecasts from weather experts MetDesk are used by Network Rail to formulate local action plans during severe weather in order to minimise any disruption to passengers. The forecasts cover not just the weather – wind speeds, rainfall, temperature – but how they will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the rails and overhead power lines. A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information about how Network Rail keeps the railway running during severe autumnal weather, click here.

Damage caused by fallen trees currently being repaired:

A tree was blown onto the overhead wires in the Wylde Green area of Sutton Coldfield on Tuesday night causing significant damage. Engineers had to wait until the wind speed dropped and it was safe to remove it before repairs could start.As a result there will be no trains between Birmingham and Lichfield until at least 10am and replacement buses will be used instead.

A tree was also blown onto the line at Coseley near Wolverhampton, again causing significant damage. Both lines are currently blocked and there is expected to be disruption throughout Wednesday. As a result Virgin Trains and CrossCountry services through the area are being diverted and London Midland services are being replaced by buses.

Thameslink and East Midlands Trains services have been disrupted on routes into St Pancras International this morning following two trees coming down overnight at St Albans and Harpenden, damaging overhead lines on two of the four tracks. All four tracks will be back in service by 10am, however Thameslink – which operates electric trains rather than diesel – will make some amendments to its timetable today as full repairs to the damaged wires will take place tonight.

Abellio Greater Anglia services have been disrupted on the Cambridge to London Liverpool Street route last night and this morning. A tree from a neighbouring property near Sawbridgeworth fell across the railway in high winds at around 9.20pm, bringing down 70 metres of overhead power lines on both tracks. Staff worked through the night to remove the tree and repair the power cables. The line was back up and running at 8.30am but it will take a few hours more for services to return to normal.